Two women from Etowah County have been charged with chemical endangerment of a child in separate cases.

Authorities arrested both women on charges of "chemical endangerment of exposing a child to an environment in which controlled substances are ingested, produced or distributed," the Etowah County Sheriff's Office reported.

Suspect Kimberly Dawn Roden, a 36-year-old from Altoona, allegedly admitted to ingesting Lortab medication and smoking marijuana during her pregnancy. Officials say her baby was born prematurely in June and is still in a Birmingham hospital.

Roden was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center on July 19 and released on a $20,000 property bond, officials said.

In the other case, 26-year-old Susan Emily Ann Ellis of Rainbow City was arrested for chemical endangerment of a child on July 18.

The sheriff's office said Ellis was admitted to the Gadsden Regional Medical Center on July 16 for possibly overdosing on Klonopin while she was 22 weeks pregnant. Officials say the medicine belonged to her late grandmother.

Etowah County DHR was contacted and the information was turned over to the sheriff's office.

Ellis was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center and released on a $5,000 property bond. The sheriff's office says she must now report for drug testing.

"It is simply unacceptable for an adult to endanger a child's life with their choice to use drugs," Sheriff Todd Entrekin said of both cases.

"I have committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Anyone who chooses to use drugs and endanger the life of an innocent child will be held responsible, arrested and charged accordingly," Entrekin stated.